A Scientific Basis for Deciding What Students Should Know & Be Able To Do

A Scientific Basis for Deciding What Students Should Know & Be Able To Do Bob Midden

“Scientific Literacy: A Conceptual Overview • RÜDIGER C. LAUGKSCH • School of Education, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa • Science Education 84(1): 71-94 (2000)

Interest Groups • Science educators • Nature, performance, and reform of education • Social scientists, sociologists • Policy issues, public support of science, public perception of science • Informal & non-formal science educators • Science museums, science journalists

Audiences • Primary school students • Secondary school students • Others • Combination of all three of the above

Definitions of Scientific Literacy • Pella et al., (1966). Based on referents in 100 carefully and systematically selected articles published 1946-64, scientific literacy is: • the understanding of the • (a) interrelationships of science and society; • (b) ethics that control the scientist in his work; • (c) nature of science; • (d) difference between science and technology; • (e) basic concepts in science; and • (f) interrelationships of science and the humanities

Definitions or Conceptions • Showalter (1974). The scientifically literate person… • I. understands the nature of scientific knowledge. • II. accurately applies appropriate science concepts, principles, laws, and theories in interacting with his universe. • III. uses processes of science in solving problems, making decisions, and furthering his own understanding of the universe.

Schowalter (cont.) • IV. interacts with the various aspects of his universe in a way that is consistent with the values that underlie science. • V. understands and appreciates the joint enterprises of science and technology and the interrelationship of these with each and with other aspects of society. • VI. has developed a richer, more satisfying, more exciting view of the universe as a result of his science education and continues to extend this education throughout his life. • VII. has developed numerous manipulative skills associated with science and technology.

Definitions or Conceptions • Shen (1975a) suggested three categories of scientific literacy: • Practical • “possession of the kind of scientific knowledge that can be used to help solve practical” • Civic • “Aims… to enable citizens to become sufficiently aware of science and science-related public issues in order for the average citizen to become involved in the decision-making process related to such issues as, for example, health, energy, natural resources, food, the environment, and so forth.

Shen (cont.) • Cultural • “…motivated by a desire to know something about science as a major human achievement” • Only common in the intellectual community • Preferentially reaches opinion-leaders and decision-makers

Definitions of Conceptions • Branscomb (1981). Scientific literacy, based on the Latin roots of “science” and “literacy” means “the ability to read, write, and understand systematized human knowledge” • (a) methodological science literacy; • (b) professional science literacy; • (c) universal science literacy; • (d) technological science literacy; • (e) amateur science literacy; • (f) journalistic science literacy; • (g) science policy literacy; and • (h) public science policy literacy

Definitions of Conceptions • Miller (1983). • (a) an understanding of the norms and methods of science (i.e., the nature of science); • (b) an understanding of key scientific terms and concepts (i.e., science content knowledge); and • (c) an awareness and understanding of the impact of science and technology on society. • Measured level of scientific literacy of adults in U.S. • Contended levels have important implications for science policy decisions

Definitions or Conceptions • Arons (1983). 12 attributes but emphasized congnitive abilities such as: • (a) to recognize that “scientific concepts are invented or created by acts of human intelligence and imagination . . .”; • (b) to “comprehend the distinction between observation and inference . . .”; • (c) to comprehend “. . . the deliberate strategy of forming and testing hypotheses”; and • (d) to “. . . recognize when questions such as ‘How do we know . . . ? Why do we believe . . . ? What is the evidence for . . . ?’ have been addressed, answered, and understood, and when something is taken on faith.”

Arons (cont.) • “a portrayal of scientific literacy in which scientifically literate individuals are able to correctly apply scientific knowledge and reasoning skills to solving problems and making decisions in their personal, civic, and professional lives”

Definitions & Conceptions • AAAS: “Science for All Americans” (1989) & “Benchmarks for Science Literacy” (1993) • National Academies of Science: “National Science Education Standards” (1995) • Science content knowledge, nature of science, practice of science, use of science in decision making

AAAS & NAS (cont.) • Intended to promote personal self-fulfilment, that is, to prepare individuals to lead, among other things, personally fulfilling and responsible lives; • Based on the belief that America’s future depends on the quality of science education received by individuals; science literacy is important for meeting national socioeconomic needs.

AAAS & NAS (cont.) • Content knowledge includes not only chemistry, physics, biology, and other natural sciences, but also social science, mathematics, and technology. • e.g., what persons should know about “human society in terms of individual and group behavior, social organizations and the processes of social change” • Includes values, attitudes, and skills scientifically literate individuals should possess and exhibit

Definitions & Conceptions • Hazen and Trefil (1991). Distinguish between doing and using science. • Scientists do science • The lay public doesn’t know how to do science to be able to use it profitably • Science literacy only requires being able to use science, not do it. • Science literacy is “the knowledge you need to understand public issues. It is a mix of facts, vocabulary, concepts, history, and philosophy” • Shared vocabulary that enables communication

Hazen & Trefil (cont.) • Scientifically literate should be able to place science news into a meaningful context. • Some cite general principles of science that should be understood • Others cite terms (e.g., Brennan’s [1992] list of definitions of about 650 science terms and topics)

Definitions or Conceptions • Shamos (1995). • “Cultural scientific literacy” • Recognizes and understands science • “Functional scientific literacy” • Is able to convey understanding to others • “True scientific literacy” • aware of some of the major conceptual schemes (the theories) that form the foundations of science, how they were arrived at, and why they are widely accepted, how science achieves order out of a random universe, and the role of experimentation in science. (unattainable by the majority of the population)

Three Primary Categories of Purpose • Learned: appreciating the beauty of scientific knowledge for its own sake • Exploiting: using science ability to solve practical problems to gain personal benefit • Contributing: understanding science and using that knowledge is social decision making

Should BGSU students be scientifically literate? • If so, how and why? • How should we define scientific literacy? • What are the goals in terms of what students should know and be able to do? • What will this accomplish? What benefits will it provide and to whom? • How can we estimate scientific literacy? • How can we estimate the benefits?

Goals? • Ability to learn new science concepts when needed in particular personal situations that involve scientific information • Understanding the nature of science, its limits and capabilities, what is required for acquiring new knowledge, the uncertainty of science • Knowing how to accommodate uncertainty in using scientific knowledge in decision making • How to evaluate the quality of scientific information

Goals? • Understanding certain, specific scientific concepts • Appreciating the intellectual beauty of scientific knowledge for its own sake • Being able to practice science in the lay world (e.g., gathring information for consumer decisions) • Being able to practice science in the professional scientific realm

Goals? • Should students develop a strong disposition to use the practice of science as the primary method of acquiring new personal knowledge and in personal decision making • Basing all decisions in a scientifically-based analysis of available evidence, probabilities, and logical reasoning • Others?

How to set goals • What learning goals will truly enhance personal and/or social gain • Scientifically testing achievement of specific learning goals against the perceived personal or social gain • Designing curriculum and instruction based on impact on personal and social gain rather than solely on personal belief of what works.

Methods for Estimating Achievement • Individual interviews • Observing behavior, performance, products • Written or oral tests • Surveys of perceptions, self-reported practice, or beliefs • Surveying public behavior, popular press and other communications

Proposal • Overall goal: graduates have those skills that will best benefit them in their lives and enable them to contribute best to democratic decision making on issues that involve science and technology

Essential Skills • Able to evaluate the validity, accuracy, and relevance of information from a variety of sources regarding public, social, and political issues that involve scientific and technological information using criteria that scientists consider appropriate • Able to reasonably and appropriately utilize scientific information and to accommodate uncertainty in scientific information in decision making

Essential Skills • Fully understand the process of acquiring new knowledge in science, what’s required, and the benefits and limitations of the values of science for acquiring new knowledge • The ability to learn those scientific concepts needed to make sound, reasonable decisions based on scientific information deemed relevant to personal and social challenges

Methods • Survey popular press, public opinion, and commonly encountered situations to identify those activities that involve scientific information and an understanding of science • Interview scientists to determine their opinions regarding scientifically appropriate responses • Evaluate those situations to identify the skills and knowledge that appear to be most essential to success based on scientific criteria • Develop curricula and instructional methods designed to develop these skills and knowledge

Methods (cont.) • Develop assessment to judge the acquisition of the targeted skills and knowledge in isolated, discrete applications • Revise instructional methods until they are successful based on this assessment • Observe success in responding to “real-world” challenges that represent those identified as involving scientific information and skills • Revise the list of essential skills and knowledge and the appropriate curriculum to develop those, based on these results

A Scientific Basis for Deciding What Students Should Know & Be Able To Do